Speed wrenches

ABSTRACT

An improved open end wrench specifically adapted for turning hexagonal head nuts through utilization of a ratchet-type turning action without inclusion of moving parts in the wrench structure. The wrench consists of a one piece formation of uniform substance defining upper and lower jaw portions in coactive alignment with an inner wrench surface, each of said jaw portions and inner wrench surface being of unique configuration to enable effective seizure of nuts in one direction but free movement around the nuts in opposite rotation.

United States Patent Evans 1 Get. 2, 1973 I SPEED WRENCHES 75 Inventor:James P. Evans, Oklahoma City, Exammeqames 10m,

Att0rneyDunlap et al. Okla.

[73] Assignee: Specialty Tools, Inc., Oklahoma City,

Okla. ABSTRACT [22] Filed: June 28, 1971 [21] App], NO 1 157,113 Animproved open end wrench specifically adapted for R l S r turninghexagonal head nuts through utilization of a e ated App canon Dataratchet-type turning action without inclusion of moving [63]continuatiomin'pafl of 36773, y 13, parts in the wrench structure. Thewrench consists of 1970 a one piece formation of uniform substancedefining upper and lower jaw portions in coactive alignment [52] US. Cl.81/119 with an inner wrench surface7 each of said jaw portions [51] it.Cl B25) 13/02 d inner wrench surface being of iq Configuration [58]Field Of Search 81/53, 119 to enable effective Seizure of nuts in onedirection but free movement around the nuts in opposite rotation. [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures2,652,735 9/1953 Wilder Sl/l 19 19 l5 I6 26 /4 Q2 SPEED WRENCHES CROSSREFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present invention is a continuationin part of the U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 36,778 filed on May 13,1970, in the name of James P. Evans and entitled Speed Wrench".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The inventionrelates generally to open end wrenches, and, more particularly, but notby way of limitation, it relates to improvements in open end wrencheshaving no moving parts but which have the effective capability of aratchet-type action.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes a great manytypes of wrench design which serve to turn nuts in a way that reducesthe applied power required to tighten or loosen the nut, and which mayinclude other modifications serving to make the wrench extremelyflexible and adaptable relative to the various types and sizes of nutswhich may be engaged during use. Several proposals have heretofore beenmade and have been patented which provide for open end wrenches havingengaging jaws at opposite ends of an elongated bar or shaft, and thesesockets are formed with a particular configuration which enableseffective gripping of nuts of various sizes and/or removal and rotationof the jaw opening about the nut for a next successive gripping turn.The U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,735 in the name of Wilder is probably theclosest prior art relative to wrenches of the open end type havingreversible capability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I The present invention provides an improvedopen end wrench of the type having opposed upper and lower jaws formedcontiguous with an inner wrench or jaw portion, and which jaw opening isparticularly adapted for use with hex head nuts to seize the nut in onedirection of turn while moving relatively freely about the nut in theopposite direction of rotation. The upper and lower jaw portions eachinclude a seizing or gripping surface for seizing the nutin the turndirection as well as upper and lower indented portions allowing freemovement of the wrench in the opposite or reverse-turn direction. Theinner jaw portion is formed to receive two sides of the hex head nut injuxtaposition, and to include a generally circular indentation at theinnermost point of the inner jaw portion for the purpose of enabling afree reverse turn action about the nut.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved ratchet-type wrench having no moving parts.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a ratchet-type open endwrench which is more freely movable in the reverse-turn direction aseffected between seizing grips of a hex head nut.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide aratchet-type wrench capable of long service and good seizer capabilityfor use on hex head nuts, and which has ratchet-type capability andstructural profile such that more difficult and tortuous grippingpositions are accessible.

Other object and advantages will be evident from the following detaileddescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing whichillustrates the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring to FIG. 1, a wrench 10consists of a central portion or elongated shaft 12 which is formed tocarry at opposite ends a pair of generally circularly shaped flatportions or wrench heads 14 and 16. The wrench head 14 includespolished, flat side surfaces 18 (on each side), and is further formedwith a seizing jaw 20. Similarly, the opposite end wrench head 16includes polished flat surfaces which enable the unique action of theinvention.

The seizing jaw 20 includes an upper jaw portion 26 and a lower jawportion 28, each of which have their general contacting surfaces alignedalong the respective arrow lines 30 and 32 generally parallel to shaft12. An inner jaw portion 34 is formed with opposite inner faces 36 and38 (see also FIG. 2) as formed contiguously at a joining angle of 120 atan angle apex point 40. An additional concave portion or recess 42 ofgenerally circular disposition about apex 40 is formed in the inner jawportion 34. The recess 42 is disposed generally concentrically to apex40 to provide a manipulating space 44 which will allow freedom ofreverse-turn movement of the wrench head 14 relative to a nut 46, i.e.removement of wrench 10 from a gripping or seizure position around nut46 counterclockwise and into seizing position for the subsequent strokeof the wrench Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the wrench opening 20 asdefined by upper jaw portion 26, lower jaw portion 28 and inner jawportion 34, is formed by a series of flat and arcuate configurationsoptimumly located thereabout. A flat surface 50 is formed between afront point 52 and a point 54 along the upper jaw portion 26. The flatsurface 50 is formed generally parallel to the elongated shaft 12 ofwrench l0 and essentially parallel to the opposite gripping surfaces ofseizing jaw 20. A concave, arcuate surface 56 is then formed from point54 proceeding inward of seizing jaw 20 to a'point 58. A flattenedportion 60 of arcuate surface 56 is formed so that it extends from point58 at an angle of about 40 relative to flat surface 50, as .indicated bythe angle indicator are 62.

A short flat surface 64 then extends inward along seizing jaw 20 frompoint 58 at an angle of approximately 235 to a point 66 which joins tothe inner jaw portion 34. The flat surface 36 of inner jaw portion 34 isformed to extend from point 66 at an angle of approximately l00,extending toward apex point 40, but actually joining the central arcuateportion 42 at a point 68. The arcuate surface 42 is formed concavearound apex point 40 to define a space 44, and to join flat surface 38at a point 70 which, in turn, extends to a point 72. The flat surfaces36 and 38 are arrayed of an angle of the angular relationship ofadjacent sides of a hexhead nut.

The lower jaw portion 28 consists of those surfaces extending from endpoint 74 inwardly to point 72 of wrench head 14. A flat surface 76extends from point 72 to a point 78, flat surface 76 being aligned at anangle of about 126 relative to flat surface 38. Thus, flat surface 76dips by about 6, as shown by angle indicator are between points 74 and84. A concave surface 86 is then formed between points 78 and 84. Theconcave surface 86 is formed with the innermost side being of steepestangle as is indicated by the angle indicator 88.

Approximate ratios of the lengths of the surfaces are substantially asfollows, taking the surface 64 as unit length (arcuate openings beingdenoted by width and depth):

Surface Ratio 56 Width 3; Depth 1.5

64 Unit 42 Width 2; Depth 0.6 to 0.8 38 3.2

76 1.6 78 Width 1.4; Depth 0.3 to 0.5 82 3 It is preferable that wrenchbe formed of the harder metals and various hardening processes may beemployed in final formation and manufacture of the wrenches. The wrench10 may be formed such that the upper wrench end 16 includes a similaropening configuration yet being dimensioned for a smaller or larger sizehex head nut; or, it may be desired in some cases to include the samesize nut capabilities with a different formation of jaw opening atwrench head 16 for the purpose of enabling turning of a different typeof nut. The-manner and size divisions in making up the sets of wrenchesin accordance with thepresent invention will depend upon exigenciessurrounding particular applications.

In operation, the wrench 10 can be inserted around the nut 46 in themanner as shown in FIG. 2 and it is in the position to grip nut 46 andexert clockwise turning power thereto. Upon completion of a stroke withwrench 10, it is only necessary to reverse the wrench in the clockwisedirection without regard to freeing the wrench 10 or to pulling itoutward from nut 46, whereupon wrench 10 will catch on another seizingposition about nut 46 for the next subsequent clockwise wrench 7 stroke.This would be a tightening operation upon conventional threads, andloosening operations may be effected simply by turning the wrench overso that the upper jaw portion of the bite jaw (point 58 and flat surface64) will exert pressure against nut 46 during the counterclockwise stokeof the wrench 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, for tightening of the conventional thread orclockwise wrench motion, point 58, flat surface 64, flat surface.36,flat surface 38 and a portion of flat surface 82 all bear against nut 46to hold thewrench in secure engagement therearound and to insuremovement of nut 46 with wrench 10. Backing up of the wrench to assumethe next seizure position is made smooth and easy due to the fact thatthe backing space 44 is provided about apex point to allow initialmovement of wrench 10 in the counterclockwise direction without bindingor bucking, whereupon continued rotation will allow .the wrench toproceed in the counterclockwise direction until it reachesthe nextsuccessive seizure position, this depending upon the size of strokeavailable at the position of nut 46.

The foregoing discloses an improvement in hex head I open end wrenchesor the type which have ratchet-type capability but which have no movingparts. The wrench will find varying uses, especially in thoseapplications wherein operational space or access is limited relative tothe nut position. Further, wrench tightening or loosening is facilitatedin those applications where the nut position is in dark, or remotepositions not accessible by sight, and possibly only alignable by thesense of touch.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of elements asheretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings; itbeing understood that changes may be made in the embodiment disclosedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedin the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A speed wrench of the open end type having an elongated shaft and aseizing jaw opening defined by upper and lower jaw portions and an innerjaw portion extending therebetween, said wrench comprising:

a flat surface 50 originating at the front edge of said upper jawportion and extending inwardly of said jaw opening in a directionsubstantially parallel to the axis of said jaw opening and at a smallangle to said elongated shaft;

an arcuate concave surface 56 having one end intersecting said flatsurface 50, and having a width ratio of approximately 3 and a depthratio of approximately 1.5 relative to a unit length;

a flat surface 64 having one end intersecting the proximate end of saidarcuate concave surface 56 at about 220 to 240, said flat surface 64having a length which is said unit length;

a vflat surface 36 having one end intersecting the proximate end of saidsurface 64 and forming an angle of from about to about the length ofsaid'surface 36 being such that it has a ratio of approximately 3.4 tosaid unit length and terminating at a point 68;

a flat surface 82 originating at the forward edge of said lower jawportion and extending inwardly in a direction essentially parallel tosaid surface 50;

an arcuate concave surface 86 having one end intersecting the proximateend of said surface 82, and

having a width ratio of about 1.4 and a depth ratio of about 0.6relative to said unit length;

flat surface 76 having one end intersecting the proximate end of saidarcuate concave surface 86 and forming an angle with said arcuateconcave surface of from about 205 to about 215, said flat surface 76having a length such that its ratio to the unit length is about 1.6;

flat surface 38 having one end intersecting the proximate end of saidflat surface 76 and forming an angle of about the length of said surface38 being such that its ratio to said unit length is from about 3 to 3.2to terminate in a point 70; and

an arcuate concave surface 42 intersecting innermost points 68 and 70 ofrespective surfaces 36 and 38 and being generally concentric with anapex point 40, formed at a projected intersection of surfaces 36 and 38,to define a space 44 about the major angle at the intersection of theprojection of surfaces 36 and 38, said arcuate concave surface 42 havinga width ratio of about 2 and adepth ratio of about 0.8 relative to theunit length.

1. A speed wrench of the open end type having an elongated shaft and aseizing jaw opening defined by upper and lower jaw portions and an innerjaw portion extending therebetween, said wrench comprising: a flatsurface 50 originating at the front edge of said upper jaw portion andextending inwardly of said jaw opening in a direction substantiallyparallel to the axis of said jaw opening and at a small angle to saidelongated shaft; an arcuate concave surface 56 having one endintersecting said flat surface 50, and having a width ratio ofapproximately 3 and a depth ratio of approximately 1.5 relative to aunit length; a flat surface 64 having one end intersecting the proximateend of said arcuate concave surface 56 at about 220* to 240*, said flatsurface 64 having a length which is Said unit length; a flat surface 36having one end intersecting the proximate end of said surface 64 andforming an angle of from about 95* to about 105*, the length of saidsurface 36 being such that it has a ratio of approximately 3.4 to saidunit length and terminating at a point 68; a flat surface 82 originatingat the forward edge of said lower jaw portion and extending inwardly ina direction essentially parallel to said surface 50; an arcuate concavesurface 86 having one end intersecting the proximate end of said surface82, and having a width ratio of about 1.4 and a depth ratio of about 0.6relative to said unit length; a flat surface 76 having one endintersecting the proximate end of said arcuate concave surface 86 andforming an angle with said arcuate concave surface of from about 205* toabout 215*, said flat surface 76 having a length such that its ratio tothe unit length is about 1.6; a flat surface 38 having one endintersecting the proximate end of said flat surface 76 and forming anangle of about 125*, the length of said surface 38 being such that itsratio to said unit length is from about 3 to 3.2 to terminate in a point70; and an arcuate concave surface 42 intersecting innermost points 68and 70 of respective surfaces 36 and 38 and being generally concentricwith an apex point 40, formed at a projected intersection of surfaces 36and 38, to define a space 44 about the major angle at the intersectionof the projection of surfaces 36 and 38, said arcuate concave surface 42having a width ratio of about 2 and a depth ratio of about 0.8 relativeto the unit length.